Vanessa Poulson

I’ve always had somewhat of a fascination with the Roman city of Pompeii. I remember learning about it for the first time back in first or second grade and wanting so badly to understand how it was that a city could be entirely destroyed and forgotten about and then reborn through modern science, technology, and the ability to find something beautiful in a place where tragedy had struck.

It’s hard to imagine something like Pompeii being anything more than a tragedy. Thousands of people lost t...

Abortion has been a difficult subject long before the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, particularly so in the American South. In a region where Republican and religious values rule, often more so than legal regulation, getting an abortion has become increasingly difficult in these southern states, despite the procedure being entirely legal nationwide. If Roe v. Wade were overturned, abortion would automatically become illegal in four states: Louisiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Mississippi...

The word “advent,” as defined in the dictionary, means the “arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” Florida Hospital’s coming transformation to AdventHealth, a new national, consumer-centric brand based in Central Florida, is set to be no different.
“Florida Hospital was built on a strong foundation, but it’s time we turn from the past and take a leap into the future,” said Florida Hospital president and CEO Daryl Tol. “We’re creating a health care system that’s easier to navigate, simp...

I’ve always had really vivid past memories of Valentine’s Day. For example, I could tell you about the time that my crush in the first grade gave chocolate to the girl that used to draw awful pictures of me and pull my hair every day instead of me. Or, I could talk about the bus ride home on that fateful February 14 in seventh grade where a boy I didn’t even know gave me a stuffed teddy bear and walked off the bus, and I never saw him again. I could tell you about what it feels like to be in ...

CW: The following piece contains descriptions of animal abuse.

In 27 states across the United States, it is illegal or unlawful to gives away animals as prizes. This includes giving them away by the side of the road, dying the animals artificial colors before giving them away, and offering them as prizes at fairs or carnivals. On this list of states that prohibit these kinds of behaviors is Alabama, where I currently reside, and where just last weekend I witnessed bunnies being offered as pri...

So many of us here in Lake Nona come from different places and have different stories of how we wound up in the Nonahood. No two stories are the same, with each comprised of individuals making the choice to pick up and move from another part of Florida, another state, or even another country. This is How We Got Here, telling stories one at a time of how different families from all different walks of life ended up in Lake Nona.
The Hahn Family, made up of Mark, Jaimee, Allison (19), Kelsey (12...

Esther Gregory’s story of artistic discovery began in 2010 when she found herself with a friend inside an art museum while going through a difficult time in her life. Whilst looking at all of the paintings, admiring the artistic talent and detailed work that went into each of the paintings, she became suddenly inspired to pursue an artistic venture of her own.
Of course, Gregory had doubts at first. She was overwhelmed with responsibilities, had no artistic training, no desire to return to sc...

According to an article published in The Washington Post, there was a recent study of World Health Organization data published in the American Journal of Medicine that found that, among high-income nations, 91 percent of children younger than 15 who were killed by bullets lived in the United States. And the trends are only growing more dire. On average, two dozen children are shot every day in the United States, and in 2016 more youths were killed by gunfire – 1,637 – than during any previous...

By Vanessa Poulson
For the Opelika Observer
Opelika resident Luanne Helms was recently awarded the Mike Tumlin Advocacy Award for her work with the Autism Society of Alabama.
As the organization’s area coordinator since 2012, Helms has organized numerous family events, fundraisers and training. Her chapter has successfully trained more than 285 First Responders in East Alabama, helping them become aware of and trained in Autism Risk and Safety Management.
The award is named after native Alaba...

Most of these fires spurred from California’s consistent lack of rain, as well as compounding atmospheric conditions linked to global warming. Recent research on wildfires in California, published in August 2018, predicted an increase in the number of wildfires as a consequence of climate change. These unheard-of conditions helped to craft a new batch of wildfires that included the Woolsey Fire and the Camp Fire, the latter of which killed at least 85 people.
It’s not only California that is ...

Author Barbara Hayes of Lake Nona Florida recently published her first children’s book Meet Quincy Quahog of Chappaquiddick, inspired by her love of and time spent in Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts for over 50 years.

The story follows Quincy Quahog, a large clam, through his adventures in self discovery and adventure, as he realizes his individual place among his friends and in Martha’s Vineyard.

Barbara is no stranger to the publishing and print world. She was born in Brooklyn, New York ...

This was The March For Our Lives protest in Kalamazoo, one of the more than 800 marches held across the United States in an effort to push tighter legislation on gun reform and hold politicians backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) accountable for accepting funding for the organization.
The March For Our Lives movement was created and organized by the survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Approximately a million students stood up...

December and the holiday season are usually a time for family, friends, gift giving and general excitement for all the things that make this time of year so unique and special. There’s something in the air that tends to make people feel more hopeful or brighter than they do in the other 11 months of the year, and for that reason, aligning yourself in the cheerfulness of the season often seems like a given expectation for this time of year.
There’s no doubt that the holidays bring about a vari...

“Together, we really can solve the root causes of hunger, but it takes commitment and collaboration,” said Dan Green of the Longwood-based nonprofit organization Feeding Children Everywhere. Green was recently honored as Central Floridian of the Year. He was recognized for his intensive and dedicated work to the cause of eradicating world hunger, with specific focus on his work in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Green’s list of accomplishments is steller. It includes deliveri...

It’s a common sound in the Nonahood: the rushing of wind soaring overhead as airplanes come racing in and out from Orlando International Airport (MCO) over Lake Nona. Orlando continues to be one of the top tourist destinations for both domestic and international travelers, meaning that MCO receives a lot of foot traffic on an annual basis.
Though this noise and all the hustle and bustle that comes with living next to one of the busiest airports in the United States is a commonality, what is m...